Surface Area of Cones and Spheres

Surface Area of Sphere
The surface area of a sphere is the total area of its outer, curved surface. Unlike other 3D shapes like prisms or cylinders which have distinct flat bases and lateral surfaces, a sphere has only one continuous curved surface.

The following diagram shows the formula for the surface area and volume of sphere. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions for the surface area and volume of sphere.

Geometry Worksheets
Practice your skills with the following worksheets:
Printable & Online Geometry Worksheets

Formula for the Surface Area of a Sphere
The formula for the surface area (SA) of a sphere depends only on its radius (r).
SA = 4πr²

Where:
SA = Total surface area of the sphere
π (pi) is a mathematical constant, approximately 3.14159.
r = radius of the sphere (the distance from the center of the sphere to any point on its surface).

If you are given the diameter (d), remember that the radius is half of the diameter: r = d/2

Finding the volume and surface area of spheres and cones
Use the formulas to work out the volume and surface area of spheres and cones.

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Volume and Surface Area of Spheres
Find the volume and surface area of:

1. sphere with radius 5cm
   
2. sphere with diameter 8.4cm
   
3. hemisphere with radius 6.1cm

• Show Video Lesson

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